SUSTAINABLE SPIRITS: MARCH 4TH

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: CHERI CHASTAINSustainability Manager, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company

Cheri has been with the company for 9 years and is responsible for educating employees on environmental issues and programs, maintaining current policies and projects, and working on new project development. Among many tasks, she is responsible for Sierra Nevada’s

renewable energy management; managing zero waste efforts; researching and implementing alternative fuel options; and working toward water conservation and reuse.

Cheri is currently a member of the City of Chico’s Sustainability Task Force, the Brewer’s Association Sustainability Subcommittee Chair, and a board member of the US Zero Waste Business Council. Cheri has a BA and an MA in Environmental Geography.

Sponors or Exhibitors: Marilyn Graham - Coordinator910-755-8561 • [email protected]

SUSTAINABLE SPIRITS: MARCH 4TH

GROWING, BUILDING, & BREWING SUSTAINABLY

5TH Annual Sustainability Symposium & Expo

Illustration: James Carpenter

EVENT DETAILS:

MARCH 4, 2016

8AM-3PM

BCC LELAND CENTER2045 Enterprise Blvd. Leland, NC 28451

REGISTRATION: $40

PRESENTED BY:

SCOTT MAITLAND Scott founded Top of the Hill Restaurant & Brewery while he was in law school twenty years ago. His brewery has won over 40 “Best Of” awards in the Triangle. In 2012, Scott opened Top of the Hill Distillery- makers of TOPO Organic Spirits, and the only locally sourced, organic distillery in the South and maker of TOPO Vodka, Gin and Whiskey. TOPO Vodka recently received a five star rating

from F. Paul Pacult’s Spirits Journal and all of the spirits have won gold medals at major competitions. Scott is currently on the board of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, the North Carolina Distillers Association, the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chamber of Commerce and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership. Scott is a military veteran, and Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is also a firm believer that craft breweries and distilleries are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

EVENT SPEAKERS


Illustration: James Carpenter

JOHN JANESJohn is currently Caterpillar’s lead professional to the US Compost Council. As part of his responsibilities he interfaces with the sustainable market places in the US and Canada to include composting, the green industries and adverse weather relief services. John has had this position since 2006 and for Caterpillar he has worked in a variety of locales to include Singapore, Australia, Peru,

Chile and South Africa. John has earned degrees in engineering from NCSU and MBA from Duke University.

ANNIE BAGGETT Annie Baggett joined the North Carolina Department of

Agriculture and Consumer Services as the Agritourism Marketing Specialist in June 2014. With an extensive career in the private and nonprofit sectors, she has accrued invaluable training and experience in marketing, communications and advertising. Both sets of grandparents are from Ashe County and her parents were raised on dairy

farms. The Baggett family lives on a small farm, established in 2000. Understanding the needs of the agritourism farmer, Annie welcomes the opportunity to offer her expertise, and support from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to farmers statewide.

BROCK ASHBURNBrock is an engineer, general contractor, and craft beer fan who married into the Highland Brewing family business in 2011. His skillset elevated Highland’s ability to improve the building and grounds, and he quickly gained the staff’s respect by engaging with key managers who needed to focus on beer production versus the joys of construction. Before Highland, as a licensed

professional engineer since 1996, Brock has worked on a wide variety of projects including hydrologic and hydraulic modeling of urban watersheds, surveying, erosion control planning, stormwater detention, site planning, and foundation design. As a licensed general contractor since 2000, his residential and commercial construction experience includes housing, energy efficiency retrofits, foundation construction, stormwater system design-build, and major structural repairs. This varied experience shaped a skillset integral to the success of multiple projects at Highland Brewing Co. Brock’s daughters are Lydia, a freshman at NC State, and Alice, an 8tht grader in Charlotte.

LEAH WONG ASHBURNLeah is a second-generation family owner and President of Highland Brewing. In the young craft beer industry, second-generation owners are not common, and second-generation women owners are even more rare. Her father, Oscar Wong, founded the company – the first legal brewery in Asheville since Prohibition, and the largest brewery native to NC. Before she joined the company in

2011, Leah and her father discussed her employment at Highland for a short time - 16 years. She served in sales and marketing positions prior to being named President. The biggest compliment of her life is when her father revealed that the staff had a covert meeting to discuss Oscar’s eventual retirement and who might next lead Highland. They reported to Oscar that Leah was their choice. She sees the brewery’s growth as a path to reducing environmental impact. Her favorite part of the job: Drinking Highland beer is PR. Drinking other beer is Market Research.

EVENT SPEAKERS


DR. TAREK ABDEL-SALAM Dr. Tarek Abdel-Salam is a Professor of Mechanical

Engineering and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering and Technology, East Carolina University(ECU). Also, he is serving as the Interim Director of the ECU’s Center for Sustainability. He serves on the editorial advisory board of the International Journal of Energy and Environment.

Currently, Dr. Abdel-Salam is the principal investigator in a project funded by EPA titled “Lean and Green at North Carolina Wineries and Breweries”. Before pursuing his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering, he served as a Senior Environmental Engineer with the Energy Conservation and Environment Project at the Development Research and Technological Planning Center at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt. During his tenure with the Energy Conservation and Environment Project, Dr. Abdel-Salam was involved in over sixty pollution prevention diagnostic assessments in different industries and a number of pollution prevention projects in Egypt’s tourism industry including Hilton hotels and resorts. In addition, Dr. Abdel Salam served as a project engineer in the Industrial Assessment Center at Old Dominion University, a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, where he conducted many energy and environmental audits. Dr. Abdel-Salam was an ISO 14000 auditor and taught Environmental Management and Hazardous Waste Management courses at the graduate level.

DR. STEPHEN SOMMERDr. Sommer joined Appalachian State University in 2013 to further develop the rapidly growing Fermentation Sciences program. He has more than eight years industry experience in various fields of beverage production including wineries, sparkling wine companies, breweries, table water production, and related fields like laboratories and industrial flavor production. He managed

a commercial beverage laboratory and was involved in research projects and student education for the German wine industry. His main research focus is on product stability, beverage microbiology, and wine aging.

EVENT SPEAKERS


TOM RHODES Tom Rhodes is an Environmental Specialist at the

North Carolina Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service. He has a 28 year background in sustainability, having developed two local government recycling programs and serving on the DEACS Local Government Assistance Team. In addition to his role as grant administrator and consultant to local government

sustainability programs, Tom manages the NC GreenTravel Initiative recognition program for sustainable destinations.

KENNETH JERNIGANKen is Senior Loan Officer on the US Small Business Administration 504 loan team at Self Help Ventures Fund. The 504 program focuses on commercial real estate and equipment, but his government lending background also encompasses other programs offered by the SBA and US Department of Agriculture. He covers eastern North Carolina and calls Wilmington home.

EVENT SPEAKERS


JEREMY NORRIS Jeremy Norris was raised on a small farm in Johnston

County, NC. After graduating high school, he started his own collision repair center which is still a thriving business today. In 2008, he began planning to start up a distillery to honor the legacy of his grandfather’s bootlegging days and continue the farm’s sustainability. Broadslab Distillery’s products first went to market in

August 2012 and steady growth has occurred with each passing year. The distillery’s tasting room and gift shop welcomes visitors every Thursday, Friday and Saturday for tastings and tours of the stillhouse.

SEEMA YANG Seema is a Business Energy Advisor within Duke Energy’s

Retail Program organization. She is responsible for developing customer relationships with Mid-size business customers and providing professional advice on energy saving related matters. In addition to providing energy efficiency recommendations and technical expertise to business owners, she educates them on products

and services offered by Duke Energy. Seema has 6 years of experience in the energy industry with various roles in customer operations, IT projects, smart grid planning and implementation and customer service. She has worked on several projects with mid-sized businesses from Charlotte to the east coast, in both North and South Carolina, helping owners achieve their energy efficiency goals. She has a Bachelors in Business Administration.

SEBASTIAN WOLFRUMSebastian Wolfrum is the founder and maltster of Epiphany Craft Malt in Durham, NC, to provide an integrated regional supply to brewers, distillers, and other sprouted grain ventures. Born and raised in Germany, he earned his certification as a brewer & maltster with the Ayinger Brewery outside of Munich from 1997 to 1999. Continuing his brewing career in the U.S., from

2006-2013 Sebastian was Director of Brewing Operations for the second largest craft brewery in North Carolina. As a founding member of the NC Craft Brewers Guild in 2008, he continues to be very involved in the affairs of the small brewers in the region. Furthermore he is engaged at the national level with the Brewers Association by serving on the Brewpub Committee and a regular contributor to the New Brewer as well as being a speaker at both the national and the North Carolina Craft Brewers Conferences. In 2012, he added a certificate in distilling from IBD, London. Sebastian has also joined Capitol Broadcasting Company as the executive brewmaster for the Rocky Mount Brewmill & Bull Durham Beer Co. in Durham, NC.

EVENT SPEAKERS


JORGE MONTEZUMA Jorge will present options for reuse and composting of

organic materials from the manufacturing of spirits. He is the Composting and Organics Recycling Specialist at NC Department of Environmental Quality where he focuses on expanding the organics recycling infrastructure in the state through technical assistance to composting facilities, haulers, compost users, and organic waste

generators. He holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and is finishing a Master’s in Biological & Agricultural Engineering at NC State.

MARGO KNIGHT METZGERMargo Knight Metzger is executive director of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild, a non-for-profit industry trade association representing more than 150 breweries and breweries-in-planning. She previously directed the public relations program for Visit North Carolina. Prior to that Margo was executive director of the North Carolina Wine & Grape Council. She graduated from UNC-Chapel

Hill with a B.A. in journalism and lives in downtown Raleigh.

EVENT SPEAKERS


GRIFFE YOUNGLESON Griffe is the CEO of Farmzie, the first Online Farmers

Market connecting rural farms to metropolitan consumers and chefs. The model, then known as “The Farmers Fresh Market”, expanded to 9 counties and created over 300 farms. Past experiences include: Technology consultant with Ply Gem, where he worked with various kinds of enterprise software solutions; managing director for

ZURV worked with high performance web presences, branding, mobile apps and online marketing strategies; Co-Founder and Chief marketing Officer for DigiTalk LLC where he lead the market acquisition by Vocalocity, now Vonage. Griffe is originally from South Africa.

NOAH GOLDMAN Noah is the CEO / Operations Director / Brew Meister for

Check Six Brewing Company. Noah was influenced early in his life by his Grandfather who owned a brewery in Brooklyn, NY in the 1920’s. Since then his love for a good beer grew. When he met his future business partner, Tim Hassel, at a Cub Scout meeting about 15 years ago, they both decided to give home brewing a try. Noah moved to

Southport, NC five years ago where Check 6 was opened. Check 6 Brewing Company now distributes its products in 2 states.

MONTE HERRINGMonte Herring is the Manager of Distributive Generation & Renewables at Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation. He has worked for the co-op for more than 35 years. A native of Cerro Gordo, he lives in Columbus County and serves on its Board of Education

EVENT SPEAKERS


LEO JOHN Leo John is Investor and Business Outreach Legal

Specialist at N.C. Department of Secretary of State, Securities Division. The state agency registers legal entities, administers and enforces state securities laws and performs various other functions that intersect with business and commerce. An attorney and a former business journalist, Leo closely tracks the state’s business

climate and in particular entrepreneurial activity to help generate economic growth and new jobs in the state.

MARK BLEVINS Mark is the Brunswick County Extension Director

and Agricultural Agent. He specializes in sustainable agriculture and assists farmers of all sizes to boost their economic, environmental, and social bottom lines. Met his wife at NC State University where he earned two degrees; they live in Southport, have three daughters, two little dogs, and honey bees.

MARYANN CHARLAP AZZATOMaryann Charlap Azzato is the owner/manager of Silver Coast Winery in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. Watching her father make wine in the basement of their home in New Jersey sparked her interest of wine and winemaking. Moving on from carriers in institutional real estate and as an executive in pharmaceutical research, she settled down in Southport, North Carolina where she had time to

finally peruse her early adult passion. Silver Coast Winery has won over 350 awards in national and international competitions and is now entering its 15th year of operation.

EVENT SPEAKERS


Documents

SUSTAINABLE SPIRITS: MARCH 4TH